Current-motor.



No. 805,446. PATENTED NOV. 28, 1905. H. G. BROWN. CURRENT MOTOR.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 1,1904.

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PATENTED NOV. 28, 1905.

H G BROWN CURRENT MOTOR APPLICATION FILED AUG. 1,1904.

PATENTED NOV. 28, 1905.

H. G. BROWN.

CURRENT MOTOR.

APPLICATION PI'LEI) we. 1,1904.

3 SHEETS-SEER:

am w UNITED STATES OFFICE.

HAVILAH e. BROWN, or TUXEDO PARK, MISSOURLASSIGNOR or TWO- THIRDS TO DAVID (J. EDWARDS AND FRANK CLARK, or ST. LOUIS,

MISSOURI.

CURRENT-MOTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 28, 1905.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HAVILAH G. BROWN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tuxedo Park, in the county of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Current-Motors,of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference'being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to a motor for use in streams of Water to derive power from the flow of current therein, the construction being such that the members that receive the impact of water may be lowered into the water and raised therefrom and provision being made whereby an eddy may be formed in which the blades of the motor may move during the course of their inoperative travel.

Figure I is an elevation of my motor. Fig. II is a top or plan view of the motor. Fig. III is an enlarged vertical section taken on line III III, Fig. I. Fig. IV is an enlarged horizontal section taken on line IV IV, Fig. I.

Fig. V is an enlarged horizontal section taken on line V V, Fig. I, with parts beneath said line shown in plan. Fig. VI is an end view of the upper portion of one of the lift-yokes of the motor and one of the hoist-screws seated in said yoke. Fig. VII is a top or plan view of the piers in connection with which my motor operates, the traveling blades of the motor being shown in dotted lines. Fig. VIII is a vertical section taken on line VIII VIII, Fig. I. Fig. IX is an enlarged top view of fragments of one of the endless chains of the motor and one of the blades connected thereto. Fig. X is an enlarged vertical section taken on line X X, Fig. I. Fig. XI is an enlarged vertical section taken on line XI XI, Fig. I.

A designates a pier around which the driven members of my motor operate.

B designates a pier that is set in the stream in such position as to be in avertical plane at an angle to the course of flow of the current in said stream, the said pier being formed at its upstream end with an L C, that extends transversely of the pier A at its upstream end. By virtue of this formation of the pier B, I produce an eddy within the boundary of the pier B throughout the space D, (see Fig. VII,) in which the water either remains stationary or parta-kes of a flow directly the opposite of that in which it moves in the body of the stream. The blades against which the water impacts in the downward flow of the current past the motor travel through the space D in the eddy when they are returning upstream, and therefore there is no resistance to their upstream movement, such as would exist if they traveled through the downwardly-flowing current of the stream.

1 designates supporting-frames seated upon the piers A and B.

2 and 3 are vertical shafts having their upper ends journaled in the supporting-frames 1, the shaft 2 being provided with a feather 2 and the shaft 3 being provided with a feather 3. Fixed to the upper end'of the shaft 3 is a transmission-gear wheel 4:, that meshes with a transmission-gear wheel 5, carried by a transmission-shaft 6. Power may be conveyed from the transmission-shaft 6 to any point at which it may be desired to utilize it.

The lower end of each of the vertical shafts 2 and 3 is stepped into a bearing-box 7, (see Figs. I and VIII,) mounted upon masonry alongside of the pier A. These boxes 7 being located beneath the water in the stream in which the motor is placed are liable to receive mud or sediment, and for the purpose of constantly removing ,such sediment from the boxes I form a spiral groove in each of the shafts 2 and 3 at theirlower ends, as indicated at 2*, Fig. VIII, by which the sediment is constantly worked out of the boxes. The lower portions of the vertical shafts 2 and 3 are journaled in bearing-slabs 8, located above the boxes 7. (See Figs. I and VIII.)

9 designates bed-slabs that are loosely seated on the masonry at the bottom of the pier A and through which the vertical shafts2and 3 pass, the bores in said slabs occupied by the shafts being of suflicient diameter to permit of the slabs being raised and lowered without disturbing the shafts.

10 and 11 designate lift-yokes that are secured at their lower ends to the bed-slabs 9, the yokes 10 being located at the outer ends of the slabs and the yokes 11 being located at the inner ends of the slabs.

12 designates hoist-screws that are tapped into the upper ends of the yokes 10 and 11 and extend vertically from said yokes to and through the supporting-frames 1, as seen in Fig. I. These hoist-screws have fixed to their upper ends beveled pinions 13, that are arranged in mesh with coexisting bevel-pinions 14, fixed to a rotatable shaft 15, which is jouri naled in bearing-brackets 15. The office of 35 designates curved channel-shaped guides "for the antifriction-rollers 28 of the carrierthe hoist-screws 12 and the rotatable shaft 15 rods 27, these guides being secured at their geared thereto is that of providing for the ends to the lift-yokes 11 and extending around lifting of the bed-slabs 9 and the traveling the lower ends of the vertical shafts 2 and 3 7 motor-driven members of the motor, to be and the bearing-collars fitted thereto, as seen hereinafter described. The rotatable shaft in Figs. I and V. During the travel of the is designed to be rotated in either direcendless chains 26 the antifriction-rollers 28 tion to rotate the hoist-screws for elevating ride in part against the surfaces of the pier 10 or lowering action, and this shaft is driven A at its sides while traversing the pier, and 75 through the means of a suitably operated when they reach the guides they pass shaft 16, equipped with a beveled pinion 17, thereinto to be directed in their course around that is arranged to mesh with either one of a the vertical shafts and emerge therefrom at pair of beveled pinions 18, feathered to the the opposite side of the pier. The ends of 5 shaft 15. The pinions 18 are shifted to and the guides 35 have bell-shaped mouths to pro- 80 fro to move them into or out of engagement vide for the ready passage of the rollers. with the beveled wheel 17 through the me- 36 designates a series of blades that are cardium of a shifter 19, pivoted to asupportingried by the endless chains 26. Each of these frame 20. blades is secured to links of the upper and 20 21 designates sprocket-wheels slidably [itlower chains through the medium of carrier- 5 ted to the vertical shafts 2 and 3 and held plates 37, to which the blades are hinged at from turning on said shafts due to the pres- 38. (See Figs. II and IX.) The point of hinge ence of the feathers 2 and 3. These sprocketconnection of the blades to said carrier-plates wheels (shown most clearly in Fig. VIII) are is beyond the outer ends of the plates, where- 5 spaced apart by sleeves 22, also slidably fitted by an arm 37 of each plate is caused to exist, 9 to the vertical shafts. Beneath the lower against which the blades bear to prevent their sprocket-wheels and surrounding the vertical folding in a forward direction under the force shafts are end-thrust bearing-collars 23, that of water directed thereagainst when the blades rest upon antifriction balls 24, which are are propelled in the current of a stream.

3 seated on bearing-plates 25, set into the bed 39 designates chains that also resist the for- 95 slabs 9. ward folding of the blades, these chains being 26 designates a pair of endless chains that connected at 40 to the carrier-plates 37 (see operate on the pairs of sprocket-wheels 21, Fig. IX) and connected at 11 to the neXt carried by the vertical shafts 2 and 3. blades in advance of their connection to the 3 5 27 designates carrier-rods that pass through various carrier-plates, as seen in Fig. II. 100 certain links of the endless chains 26 and con- In the practical use of my current-motor stitute the pivot members of said links at the force of the water in a stream in which their locations. These carrier-rods are pro the motor is situated is exerted against the vided at their lower ends with antifrictionrear sides of the plates 36, and the blades are 4 rollers 28, (see Figs. I and V,) and at the upthereby propelled forwardly as long as they 5 per end of each rod is a head 29, (see Fig. remain unfolded in the course of current of III,) to which is journaled a pair of rollers 30. the water. As the blades reach the down- (See Figs. I, I1, and III.) stream end of the course traveled by the end- 31 designates longitudinal beams supportless chains, they fold rearwardly, as indicated ed by the lift-yokes 11 and located at the sides in Fig. VII, and travel with the chain in an 110 of the pier A. These beams 31 have secured upstream direction through the eddy space to them inverted-U-shaped brackets 32, and D, so that no resistance is offered to their secured to the legs of said brackets at their travel to counteract themovementoftheblades inner sides are track-rails 33, preferably of being forced downstream.

5 channel shape, on which the rollers 30 of the I claim as my invention 5 carrier-rods 27 travel. The track-rails 33 are 1. In a current-motor, the combination of continuous and encircle the pier A and also traveling waterimpactreceiving members, the vertical shafts 2 and 3, as seen most means by which said members are carried, and clearly in Fig. II. The beams 31 are supmeans whereby said members and carrying ported by the yokes l1, and they are adaptmeans are raised; said raising means consisted to be raised and lowered with the other ing of bed-slabs by which said carrying means vertically-movable parts of the motor through are supported, and means for lifting said slabs, the medium of the hoist-screws 12 entering substantially as set forth. into said yokes. As additional means of rais- 2. In a current-motor, the combination of ing and lowering said beams I provide a hoisttraveling water-impact-receiving members, 5 screw 12, that seats in a cross-piece 34:, seatmeans by which said members are carried, and ed between the beams. (See Fig. X.) This means whereby said members and carrying last-named hoist-screw is geared to the rotameans are raised; said raising means consisttable shaft 15 through the medium of beveled ing of bed-slabs by which said carrying means 5 pinions l3 and 1 1. are supported, yokes connected to said slabs, 3

and means for lifting said yokes, substantially as set forth.

3. In a current-motor, the combination of traveling water-impact-receiving members,

means by which said members are carried, and

means whereby said members and carrying means are raised; said raising means consisting of bed-slabs by which said carrying means are supported, yokes connected to said slabs, lift-screws fitted to said yokes and means for operating said lift-screws, substantially as set forth.

4. In a current-motor, the combination of a pair of vertical shafts, sleeves slidably fitted to said shafts, endless blade-carrying 

